This patent application is a U.S. National Stage application of International Patent Application Number PCT/FR2017/050172 filed Jan. 25, 2017, and claims priority to FR 1650587 filed Jan. 26, 2016 which are hereby incorporated by reference in their entireties.
The invention relates to the field of chip cards. Chip cards are well known to the public, for which they have multiple uses: payment cards, SIM cards for cell phones, transport cards, identity cards, etc.
Chip cards comprise transmission means for transmitting data from an electronic chip (integrated circuit) to a card reader device (reading) or from this device to the card (writing). These transmission means may be “contact”, “contactless” or else with a dual interface where they combine the two preceding means. The invention in particular allows the production of dual-interface chip cards. Dual-interface chip cards are called “dual” if the “contact” and “contactless” modes are managed by a single chip or “hybrid” if the “contact” and “contactless” modes are managed by two, physically separate, chips, one of the chips being connected to the contacts and the other being connected to the antenna. The invention relates to dual-interface, rather than hybrid, chip cards.
Dual-interface chip cards are generally composed of a rigid carrier made of a plastic material of PVC, PVC/ABS, PET or polycarbonate type forming the body of the card, in which separately produced electronic module and antenna are incorporated. The electronic module comprises a generally flexible printed circuit board that is equipped with an electronic chip and contact lands that are electrically connected to connection pads of the chip. The contact lands are flush with the electronic module, on the carrier surface forming the card, for a connection by electrical contact with a card reader device. Dual-interface chip cards furthermore comprise at least one antenna for transmitting data between the chip and a radiofrequency system that allows contactless reading or writing of data.
In the prior art, the electronic module comprising contacts and the chip, on the one hand, and the antenna potentially integrated into a carrier (inlay), on the other hand, are generally produced separately, after which the antenna is connected to the module. The antenna is connected to the module using complex methods which have a negative impact on productivity, production yields and the reliability of the cards once in use.